I didn't think we would have the chance to travel to North Africa, nor did we know what to expect. So happy we got to explore Marrakech, Morocco!
I loved the smell of the Riad, is that crazy? In such a bustling place you would never think that it was covered in orange trees, and the smell was wonderfully sweet.
We enjoyed breakfast at the Riad every day before we left to explore:
Lets talk about our top five recommendations for what to do in Marrakech, along with the foods we recommend trying while on a visit to this hustle and bustle of a city!
1. Visit the Medina
The Medina is one of the most well known squares in Africa. During the day it is filled with snake charmers, juice stands and henna artists, and in the evenings it transforms into a huge outdoor food court.
At night the main square (Jemaa el-Fnna) turns into a food court for a foodies paradise. You can try anything from snails to traditional tagine and sweet pastries. As we walked around at night, the locals were calling Jordan Pablo Escobar, trying to entice him to eat from their stalls... His mustache has made him famous!
I love all the dried flowers used to make teas:
In the Souk they sell amazing rugs, great baskets, and middle eastern decor-you can bargain for just about anything in the Medena, even a wallet. But be careful, when you have a mustache like Jordan they think you're way rich, and try to double to the price on just about everything...but with some good bargaining you can drop the price quite a bit.
2. Book a Berber Village Discovery Tour with 4x4Camel
The Discovery Tour was one of the best ways to learn about the everyday life of the local people. Most of the Moroccans living in the villages in the Atlas Mountains are of Berber descent, and are the original settlers in Morocco. Our first stop on the tour was to the farmers market; it was pretty eye opening to say the least!
Any kind of meat you could want...or not want...
Take your pick!
Free range and cage free
Jordan's mustache attracting international attention at the meat market
Grains and spices
Lots of mint tea, everywhere you go you can expect to be greeted with some
At the market once you buy your meat, you can take it to a griller, who will cook it up for you
Lots of Tajin
Apparently you don't go to the market just for food services, there are also hairdressers and dentists ready to work too. I'm not sure how clean or comfortable it is going to a dentist like this, but desperate times call for desperate measures I guess...?
We drove the windy mountainside through little Berber villages. Some of the villages were made up entirely of one family-with over 20 people! So some these areas are so rural they have no electricity.
Our next stop was a woman's argan oil cooperative. The cooperative helps employe widowed and divorced women to give them jobs.
The oil is hand pressed, and it takes hours to bread down one nut!
On the road again...
One of the highlights of the tour was having lunch in a Berber house in a village overlooking the Atlas Mountains and Mount Toubkal (the snowcapped peaked mountian that is the highest summit in Northern Africa).
Lunch for two
We had such a delicious lunch, and the fact that it was homemade made it all the more special.
We started off with a pureed vegetable soup
Of chicken, veggies and couscous
For main dishes we had three: The first a tajine of sardines and rice
Making the rice mixture...
All ready to be baked!
Final product
My hands were yellow for days, and I couldn't get the smell to go away (which is terrible when you're pregnant and sick!)
I just need to post this picture to remind me of that tumeric spice smell, and the dye job it did to my hands
Ready to be baked
The Master Chef worked on a preserved fish with lemon
Looks good and proud of his meal!
"You who enter my door, may your highest hopes be exceeded"
We went into the dorm rooms and admired the beautiful architecture
While it is beautiful, I am happy Jordan didn't leave me here to live in the dorms.
We started off with a pureed vegetable soup
Ooooo a tajine
We definitely enjoyed this meal, and the experience we had going through the Berber Villages!
3. Souk Cuisine Cooking School
Morocco is a country bursting with fresh ingredients for cooking: parsley, coriander, paprika, turmeric you name it, they use the spice to liven up dishes without overpowering any one flavor. We took a cooking class with Souk Cuisine and Gemma, our instructor, had the perfect afternoon planned for us!
We started off with a list that she created and were left to source out the ingredients ourselves. Our goal was to find the perfect vegetables, barter over prices with local merchants, learn about spices and sample little treats from stall owners who knew Gemma. It is a great way to fully experience the day to day workings of the markets!
We tried different types of olives
Pretty good sugar donuts
We picked out a nice chicken to eat...which was measured in comparison to some rocks...
We completed our shopping and were taking back to Gemma's beautiful riad where we prepared our meal in Gemma's open aired kitchen.
Gemma had three Moroccan matriarchs helping us in the kitchen, teaching us how to cook with our hands.
A pinch of this, and a pinch of that...
We made so much food, for starters we made: traditional sweet carrot salad, courgette (zucchini) moroccan salad, and delicious zahhlouk (eggplant and pepper spread).
Final product:
Making the rice mixture...
Mix, Mix, Mix
I worked on making chicken
While things simmered on the gas stove, it is common in Morocco to take your large meat dishes to your local bread baker to be stuck in their oven. Kitchens can't accommodate large pans, and it is common to pay a oven fee to cook large meals. I brought the chicken to the local baker to be cooked.
They wanted me to stay and make some bread for them...sure why not?!?!
For dessert we made biscuits with semolina and coconut, and ate them with mint tea
We had a great experience cooking, and were full for the rest of the day! Cancel your dinner reservations and sign up for this cooking class and cultural experience, you won't regret it.
4. Visit Ben Youssef Madrasa
The Madrasa was founded in the 14th century as the largest Quranic learning center in North Africa, and it is the most splendid!
A great selfie
The medersa (which is a theological college) is affiliated with a nearby mosque, and once had 900 students in 132 dorms arranged around the courtyard where students would study religious and legal texts.
"You who enter my door, may your highest hopes be exceeded"
While it is beautiful, I am happy Jordan didn't leave me here to live in the dorms.
5. Get lost and try local cuisine
If you haven't already gotten lost through the narrow streets of Marrakech you should, just be warned, everyone will try to give you directions to their favorite rug shop or friends store and expect a tip for their service. You may find yourself lost in the tannery where they dye their leather, or at a beautiful hammam (couldn't do that pregnant, but if you're not you should totally go!).
He begged me to bring the donkey home...
While we have covered lots of food already, there are a few things besides Tajine that we recommend trying. Cafe Chez Zaza in the Medina is a hidden GEM. They have a pastilla that is a unique combination of sweet and savory goodness, and a delicious apricot lamb tajine-totally worth eating here!
Morocco was a great place to visit, totally unlike anywhere we have yet to go! Our adventures continue on...
